Breathe
By Rosa Covarrubias
Six months ago the prognosis, as if I were a patient in a doctor's office, was encouraging. Despite the fact that the support for some of them disappeared, as if it were water dripping from their hands, most of them managed to solve the economic problem to attend competitions that would lead them to fulfill their dream.
For the Pan American Games of Santiago de Chile 2023, the forecast was to reach 30 gold medals as the maximum achievement at the top of the podium, few, perhaps the athletes, were confident that in this event, the most important of the year because it also distributed tickets to Paris 2024, they would make history.
The Mexican Delegation, in only 9 days of competition, surpassed 30 gold medals, culminating its participation with 52 gold medals, for a total of 142 medals, 67 were obtained by women, while in the men's category they obtained 65 and 10 in mixed events, to stay in third place in the medal standings, only behind the United States and Brazil.
Basque pelota gave Mexico 6 gold medals in the last days of competition, which helped the country to place second in the medal standings. Archery, karate, canoeing, Citlali Moscote in the marathon, track cycling, diving, women's soccer, Abraham Ancer in golf, Paola Longoria and the racquetball team gave the country three gold medals; modern pentathlon, rowing, taekwondo with 6 gold medals, Lizeth Rueda in triathlon and sailing, were the disciplines in which Mexico had Pan American champions.
Regarding the places obtained for the Olympic Games, there were two disciplines in particular that stole the spotlight, not because they minimized the others, but because history was made.
Few of us will forget, first, Joana Jiménez collapsing with emotion and covering her face when they gave her and Nuria Diosdado the result in the duet event, a gold that was worth the pass to the Olympics; a day later, history would repeat itself, but now in the team event, after 27 years Mexico will compete in Synchronized Swimming with a full team, just as they dreamed 4 years ago, before the pandemic arrived and changed the plans of the undines and Adriana Loftus.
Yes, those women who started selling towels and swimsuits to be able to compete in the World Cup in Egypt; those ondinas who approached Arturo Elías Ayub, thanks to the impetus and a tweet from Jessica Sobrino, in search of support from the private sector; those who were ignored and sent to sell Tupper (as if that were degrading) or their own underwear, they won two historic gold medals in Santiago 2023 and the ticket to Paris 2024, making not only a country proud, but also their colleagues from other nations who congratulated them for the fact.
Who would have thought that, after being trapped in Israel after the country responded to the Hamas attack, Julia Gutierrez, Ana Flores, Kimberly Salazar, Adirem Tejeda and Dalia Alcocer, all coached by Blajaith Aguilar, would win the silver medal in the Rhythmic Gymnastics All Around and with it, the ticket to Paris, after finishing behind Brazil, a nation that had already obtained the Olympic place.
The modern pentathlon gave Mexico 2 places for the Olympic Games; in sport shooting, 4 tickets to Paris were obtained; Marco Verde and Miguel Ángel Martínez in boxing, as well as the jumping team in equestrian discipline, Elena Oetling in sailing and Matías Grande in men's individual archery, secured Olympic places for Mexico.
It has not been an easy cycle for any athlete in the world. After the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which actually took place in 2021 due to the Covid 19 pandemic, athletes have only had 2 years of preparation and competitions to find their place in the next summer, in addition to this, in Mexico, the tug of war in various disciplines have put the country's sport in check.
With almost eight months to go until the start of the Olympic Games, Mexican athletes are looking forward to one of the best performances in history.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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